Hearing and Seeing
by LonelyAngel91
Summary: With a non-existent memory and the ability to hear the future Nora is challenged with keeping up with her abilities and learning the ways of a human as well.
1. Chapter 1

(1)

The Academy. A building full of people like me. The workers here tell us it's a building to shield us from the world.

The Academy was a mental institution back in the day; and it still kinda is. Many rooms with one bed, one window; barred window, and one toilet. And the one door with a barred window and a small whole that could be opened from the outside for food.

And just like a prison, there were different levels for different "in-mates". I was a model in-mate since my abilities were no threat to anyone's physical self. I was allowed to go outside, have flexibility with my schedule, and make simple requests.

I was in the group called Alpha. The four groups are Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Omega. Alpha is the lesser being with relatively harmless abilities. Omega was the most dangerous group in the entire building. We were named by our group and by a number. The number usually stood for the order in which we arrived at The Academy.

My buddy in the "buddy system" however was not as in the same group as me.

_I think you'll find that you'll fit in quite comfortably here._

I glanced over my shoulder making sure no one was really talking to me.

"Did you hear that?" I asked out loud.

"Nope," Gamma 5 answered taking a seat next to me.

I glanced back at Gamma 5 seeing two guardsmen hovering over him for a moment. They left after a short pause.

Gamma 5 glanced over at me after they left, "Hearing things again?"

I sighed, "Only recently has my "talent" acted up."

"Well don't say that too loud or they'll have me start monitoring you again," Gamma 5 said whispering to me.

Gamma 5 was a telepath. Not the strongest The Academy has to offer. He had to be within a few feet of you to get inside your brain. Gamma 5 was forced by The Academy staff to "monitor" me a few months back. Monitor meaning he had to be by my side ready and waiting to read my thoughts when I heard something from the future.

"It would be easier on both of us if I could just see it instead of hear it," I said waiting for dinner to be served in the cafeteria.

"No, 'cause then you'd be hooked up to stuff that could put what you saw in your mind into pictures for them to print out," Gamma 5 said as his leg started to jiggle from anxiety.

The Academy held a good seventy people, all with "talents" that made them dangerous. The staff at The Academy were all regular humans with no special abilities. But they had weapons to counter us if we got out of hand.

_This is my gift to you. You have an hour until I won't be able to control them anymore._

I shook my head trying to collect my thoughts.

"Alpha 2," Gamma 5 whispered. "Your ears are bleeding."

"Oh no," I spoke quietly as I slowly took my long white hair down from it's hair binder.

"Gamma 5," one of the guards said as they came up behind us. "You aren't in Alpha 2's head without permission, right?"

Gamma 5 was never allowed into anyone's head unless The Academy staff ordered him to.

"Of course not," he replied.

I shook my head, "I'm fine. Just tired."

The guard walked off and a different staff member served us our food.

"What's going on with you?" Gamma 5 asked as he started picking at his food.

"I don't know," I answered staring at my food. "All the sudden I'm hearing things so clearly."

"What are they saying?" he asked looking in the opposite direction.

"Something about control…," I answered.

Gamma 5 nearly choked on his food.

I started eating my food as the entire room including the staff members looked over at Gamma 5 and I.

"When?" he asked still trying to contain his coughing.

I shook my head, "It didn't sound like anyone that I knew."

_I think you'll find that you'll fit in quite comfortably here._

"Two voices…" I trailed off as my appetite vanished.

One voice says she's going to set me free and the other believes I'll fit in wherever I go next.

"But it's the future," I said looking down at my plate. "Nothing is set is stone."

My hopes were quickly diminished as I continued to eat.

"Are you refusing to believe what you heard?" Gamma 5 asked taking a drink.

"I can't even fathom how many conversations I've heard that haven't happened," I replied.

"What if they just haven't happened yet?" Gamma 5 asked finishing his plate off.

"Now why would I hear something that's going to happen thirty years from now?" I asked glancing over at him. "I'm kinda like you, Gamma 5."

He paused and then looked over holding my gaze.

"I can only hear things that are close, just like you," I explained.

Alpha group dismissed, the intercom sounded.

I shrugged raising from my seat, "See ya."

I kept my head down as I obediently walked back to my room. All of the guards were male at The Academy; most of which were highly trained fighters. With my small frame, light build, and worthless ability when it came to battle, I knew I had a better chance getting killed over escaping.

A few in-mates tried escaping. Even the Omega's died trying.

A guard waited for me at my door. He was equipped with two guns, a few knifes, and brass knuckles. Even though I was a model in-mate, they still took all the precautions. I kept my gaze low as I walked passed him into my room.

The door closed loudly behind me, dead bolted twice, and finally chain locked. It took two keys to unlock the door and one very strong individual to open it. I alone had no chance at escaping when I was fully locked in.

They only had cameras in the Gamma and Omega rooms. I quickly went over to the sink and started washing my ears out. If they found me with a blood stained pillow case tomorrow morning, I'd have to be monitored by Gamma 5 again.

I glanced up at the door seeing the window empty. I then walked over to my bed and crawled into the covers. Curfew was only a few short minutes after you were ordered to your rooms.

I laid very still in my bed. My mind, however was running in circles.

First came the thought of escaping. How? When? And would the staff members at The Academy go looking for me if I escaped successfully.

Then came where I would go. Where ever I went they seemed to be very welcoming.

And finally came the fact that I had two voices in my future. Usually it was only one, and that one was someone that either worked or lived at The Academy.

And then I came back to the first question; how would I ever escape my cage?

_I think you'll find that you'll fit in quite comfortably here._

The words repeated themselves over the night. I fell asleep with them on repeat.

I woke the next morning to the usual noise of someone opening my door. I quickly pushed the covers off and sat up; they never liked it when people tried to fall back asleep.

"Come on, Alpha 2," my usual female staff member said.

I slowly walked out to meet her.

"There will be a little bit of a schedule change today," she said looking down at her clipboard. "You'll shower and change as usual, you'll get breakfast and then we have something new to try."

"Am I going back to being monitored again?" I asked.

"Not really," she answered. "We are just going to try out the machine that telepaths use today and see what it does."

"Oh…" I trailed off slightly concerned.

"After that you might be able to go outside," she said as she started walking towards the showers.

I followed her as the rest of the Alpha group was being awoken.

Would have been nice if I heard this yesterday, I thought.

I showered quickly and changed ready for my new day. I was walked to the cafeteria for breakfast and sat in my usual spot.

"Gamma 5?" I asked seeing him approach me. "Gamma doesn't get breakfast for another hour."

"Well, apparently I'm getting a schedule change today," he said taking a seat.

"Strange," I thought out loud. "I am too."

"I think they're hooking me up to that stupid machine again," Gamma 5 said in between his teeth making a fist on the table.

The machine. It was old and rarely used. But it was painful when it was operational.

"You didn't wake up with blood on your pillow, did you?" he asked.

"I forgot to check," I answered.

Our food came a moment later. We ate it slowly both thinking about how today would go.

"I've never been hooked up to the machine before," I admitted.

"You're gunna hate it," Gamma 5 said flatly.

A high pitched shriek forced me to cover my ears.

"Did you hear that scream?" I asked rubbing my ears.

"No…" Gamma 5 answered.


	2. Chapter 2

(2)

Gamma 5 and I were taken from the table then. Four guards walked us down an unfamiliar hallway. Two of them in front of us and two of them in back of us keeping a fast pace.

We traveled in silence. Both of us a little too afraid to speak in case someone with a weapon got angry.

The door was open at the end of the hall and I saw exactly what was waiting for us.

There were two chairs on either side of the large piece of machinery. Both chairs had wrist, ankle, and neck straps to keep the patients down. The machine in the middle had extension cords all over the ground and a few that lead up to the ceiling.

"That's not the machine," Gamma 5 said under his breath. "This is something else."

We entered the room and were immediately locked in. The guards took their places around the room as two other men waited for us.

"Which one's the telepath?" one asked stepping forward.

I looked down at my feet trying not to give anything away.

"And then the future one goes here," the other one said guiding me over to the other chair.

I wanted to fight. I wanted to struggle but the four men with guns and knives convinced me otherwise. My arms were bound down as well as my legs. The neck strap wasn't as tight as the rest but it still held me down firmly.

"What's gunna happen?" I asked as they began placing wires all over my body.

"We have reason to believe that one of the Omega's is planning an escape," someone explained. "And with both of your help, we should be able to fine out which one."

A sudden pinch came as I realized they poked me with a cord, "Ow."

"It's to dull down the sting," he said.

"Sting?" Gamma 5 and I asked.

"Well," he began. "The machine isn't modernized enough to make it painless."

A few tears started to gather in my eyes.

"The machine will heighten your powers making it easier for us to find what we want," he said before he turned it on.

I arched my back as a sharp sting shot through my body. I clenched my jaw shut trying not to make any noise. The pain seemed to throb throughout my entire body never letting up. The tears started streaming down my face.

"Watch it! She's crying!" one of the men shouted.

One of my tears came in contact with one of the open wires that was connected to my head. A sudden spark came from the side of my face then. I flinched as turned away as one of the men ripped it off me before it did any damage.

"Turn it off!" one shouted to another.

Every muscle in my body tingled when it was shut off. Everything was sore and red with irritation.

"Did we find what we needed?" a man asked.

"No," the other answered. "We barely got started."

"How's the boy?" a guard asked.

"He'll be fine," someone answered. "He's a tough one, it's the girl we gotta worry about."

"Her wrists and ankles are already bruised from her struggles," one of the guards said.

"Do we have another wire?" one asked. "This one is shot now that it got wet."

"I'd have to go out and get one, I didn't bring extras," one replied.

There was a short pause.

"Let them go outside until we are ready. This might take a while," a man explained.

Gamma 5 and I were released from the restraints and walked out of the room.

I glanced down at my wrists seeing a purple circle around them. Most of the bruises on my body were due to the current that ran though me. But the ones on my wrists and ankles were also due to my struggles.

"You look terrible," Gamma 5 said as we took a seat on a concrete bench close to the building. "Your neck looks like a purple collar."

"I don't really feel the greatest," I said looking over my body. "How many do you have?"

"Not as much," he said looking himself over.

"I don't think I'll be able to survive another one of those," I admitted.

"I just hope it doesn't work like they think it will," he said. "Otherwise we'll be hooked up to that thing daily."

My body tensed at the thought.

We'll die, I thought. Or at least I will.

"Have you heard anything?" Gamma 5 asked.

"Not since that scream in the cafeteria," I answered.

"So are they coming?" he asked.

"No," I replied. "What I heard yesterday was just… a possible future."

Some time had passed then as Gamma 5 and I sat in silence. I watched the sun move from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. I then glanced over my shoulder unable to see any of The Academy staff.

_This is my gift to you._

"How long have we been sitting out here?" I asked.

"What?" Gamma 5 asked zapping back to reality.

"We've been sitting out here for hours," I repeated looking around. "I think they would have found a wire by now."

"Yeah…" he trailed off looking around with me.

_And I hope with all my heart that you never come back._

"Did you hear that?" I asked.

"What did you hear?" Gamma 5 asked almost desperate for an answer.

"She said 'And I hope with all my heart that you never come back'," I responded.

"She said?" he repeated the gender.

"I don't know any other female's at The Academy than the one that wakes me up every morning," I explained. "And it didn't sound like her."

"There is an Omega telepath here," Gamma 5 said looking over his shoulder again. "And she is female, she's talked to me a few times."

"But you're a Gamma," I said. "How would you come in contact with her."

"She's the one that can link up with every mind within a five mile radius," Gamma 5

explained gently.

"Oh, my," I breathed. "She must be very powerful."

"Indeed," Gamma 5 said. "They usually keep her sedated for safety and for testing."

"We should go in," I spoke raising from my seat.

"What?" he exclaimed watching me go. "You want to get electrocuted to death?"

"It's too quiet, Gamma 5," I said. "Never have I ever been outside this long without someone coming to bring me inside."

Gamma 5 quickly followed.

"Something's wrong," I whispered entering the building. "It's far too quiet."

The cafeteria was empty; which is always full.

"Where's all the people?" I asked.

"Where's all of us?" Gamma 5 added.

"Gamma 5?" I asked turning to him.

He closed his eyes and began to slow his breathing.

To my fellow in-mates, a voice said.

"I heard that!" Gamma 5 said opening his eyes.

This is my gift to you. For the past month, I have been slowly linking every mind that came through the front doors. Today is the day that I hold them in a trance while you get a head start. You have an hour before I won't be able to hold on anymore. And I hope with all my heart that you never come back.

"All available mutants to the entrance," the loud speaker sounded.

"What's a mutant?" I asked.

"She just made every staff member open every door and disarm every alarm and trap," Gamma 5 said with shock on his face.

The eerie shriek I heard earlier shook through the entire building.

A sudden explosion occurred as Gamma 5 and I were sent back out to the cement bench.

"What?" I asked immediately getting to my feet.

"The in-mates…" he trailed off. "They're destroying The Academy."

"Oh, so instead of running for their lives they decide to blow the place up," I said disgusted.

A gush of wind came then. Gamma 5 and I glanced up seeing a large black jet start to land.

"Looks like that hour was cut to five minutes," I said grabbing Gamma 5's arm and dragging him along with me.

I ran towards the front of the building away from the black jet that just landed. I dodged a few in-mates and kept a firm grip on Gamma 5's arm.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Anywhere," I answered seeing the front door. "Someone knew we were escaping, that's why the back jet is there. If we stay here we'll die here."

"Did you hear them?" Gamma 5 asked now keeping up with my pace.

"Who else do you know would come the moment we break out in an expensive looking jet?" I asked pushing through the front door.

Gamma 5 had no answer as we ran down the long drive way.

"If we are going to survive, Gamma 5," I said to him. "We need to stay together."

He nodded as we both entered the woods that hid The Academy from the rest of the world.

"Hey! Where are we?" I asked.

"I don't know!" Gamma 5 answered. "I don't know any more geography than you do."

I stopped then catching my breath. Gamma 5 stopped with my hunched over with his hands on his knees.

"Well if we don't know where we are then-"

_No! Don't run! _

"Let's keep moving and think while we at least walk," I said looking around to see if anyone was there.


	3. Chapter 3

(3)

"How thick are these woods?" I asked rhetorically. "We've been walking for ages."

"You think that hour is up?" Gamma 5 asked.

"More than likely," I answered.

"Have you heard any-"

I stopped and looked back at Gamma 5 with worry.

"What is it, Gamma 5?" I asked in fear.

"There's…" he trailed off. "Someone looking for us."

I overlooked the area again unable to see anyone but us.

"She says she can offer us a safe place," Gamma 5 said suddenly calm.

"It's the Omega telepath," I said. "Isn't it?"

"No," he said shaking his head. "The voices don't match up."

_Run!_

"I just heard my own voice yell 'run'!" I said with a panic.

Gamma 5 and I were then back to back surveying our surroundings.

It was the gush of wind that gave it away.

"It's the jet!" I shouted grabbing Gamma 5's hand. "Run!"

"No, wait!" Zack shouted over the jet engine.

I pulled him along with me desperate to outrun what was chasing us.

"If they catch us, we'll go back to The Academy!" I exclaimed hurdling over everything creating my own path.

"No! Don't run!" a woman said landing before us. "We're here to help you!"

All I saw was dark skin and white hair similar to mine before I turned in a different direction.

"Alpha 2, stop," Gamma 5 said gently as he stopped all my momentum. "Please, Alpha 2, it's okay."

Tears were now streaming down my face in fear.

"I can't go back," I said choking on my words. "I'll die if they hook me up to that machine again."

"I know, Alpha 2," Gamma 5 said loosening his grip on me. "But there's no where else to run."

I looked around me seeing a few more people. I tugged at Gamma 5's embrace seeing a gap in-between them.

"Alpha 2, you're done running," Gamma 5 said reapplying his hold. "I've read their minds. We're safe with them."

"How do you know they're not all lying?" I asked challenging him.

"Because I've seen the images in their head on where they are taking us," he answered. "And they all have the exact same house in mind. None of them have a different image."

I paused for a moment.

"What do you hear?" Gamma 5 asked.

"I don't hear anything," I answered looking up at the jet that hovered over the woods. "Silence can only mean I'm going to die or their's nothing important about to happen."

"Well, I'm taking a chance with them," Gamma 5 said taking a step away from me.

My eyes starting to sting. I had to fight a fresh set of tears from escaping my eyes.

Gamma 5 held out an open hand, "Won't you please join me?"

Where would I go? Who would I know? What would I know?

I nodded unable to see another option.

Gamma 5 smiled as he took my hand in his.

I'll protect you, Gamma 5 mentally spoke to me. You know that.

"We'll have to walk to the nearest clearing to board the jet," the woman with the white hair said walking in the direction we already ran from.

I kept my gaze down as we walked to the nearest opening.

_I think you'll find that you'll fit in quite comfortably here._

I walked onto the jet and took a seat next to Gamma 5 keeping my eyes low. I squeezed his hand hard as the jet started to take off.

It's my first time in a plane too, he told me.

It was a little comforting knowing Gamma 5 was in my head for support but I still fond it slightly invasive. Even with the current situation I'd rather be left alone with my thoughts and feelings.

It wasn't too long before we started to land. The jet came to a slightly bumpy landing as everyone took off their seat belts.

Most of the crowd headed off in one direction while Gamma 5 and I followed the white haired woman.

She turned to face us at one of the many doors. She seemed to look from Gamma 5 and then back to me. Gamma 5 nodded.

"I've already introduced myself to Zack, Alpha 2, but not you," she spoke rather sweetly. "My name is Ororo Munroe. But the students call me Storm."

I was a little confused at the nickname but decided against saying anything. I just smiled weakly. Then I realized she said Gamma 5's real name. It was forbidden to say your real name at The Academy; if you did, they sent you to a telepath and forced you to forget.

The door opened and we walked into what looked like the basement.

She paused at the foot of a stairway, "The professor is up these stairs. I will join you shortly after I change out of my uniform."

She stepped aside and waited for us to start heading up the stairs before she left. Zack confidently started going up the stairs. I followed still very unsure about the choice I made.

When we reached the top the very first thing I saw nearly startled me.

There were kids walking around the school. They weren't dressed in uniforms but more casual clothing. They all seemed pretty comfortable as they walked around with large books in their hands.

"Oh, we're gunna fit in great," Zack said with a smile.

The wave of students passed as a man in chair approached us. He seemed to keep his distance but was more focused on me than Zack.

"Professor Xavier?" Zack asked closing the gap between them.

"Zachary the telepath," he responded holding out a hand. "I presume."

"It's wonderful to meet another telepath in person," Zack said enthusiastically as he shook the professors hand.

He was a very… sophisticated looking man. He was dressed nicely, presented himself well, and seemed to have a gentle demeanor to himself. Almost immediately trustworthy if he hadn't been a telepath.

Zack stepped aside letting the professor have the full view of me.

He must have sensed my uneasiness because he didn't come forward or say thing. The professor waited for me to make the first move.

"I'm Nora," I spoke revealing my true name.

I didn't offer him a hand or step forward.

"If Zachary hasn't told you already," he began. "I am Charles Xavier."

"And what is it that you can do, Nora?" He asked after a short moment.

I hesitated. Can't he just read Zack's mind and find out?

I glanced over at Zack. H nodded with a warm smile.

"I…" I trailed off still looking at Zack. "I hear the future."

"You hear it?" he asked interested.

I re-established my eye contact, "Yes."

"And how, if I may ask, did you get those bruises on your neck and wrists?" Professor Xavier asked trying not to pry.

"I was hooked up to a machine that…" I trailed off again remembering the pain.

"You're safe here, Nora," Zack told me tenderly.

"That was supposed to create an image of what I heard from the future," I finished with a raspy voice. "It didn't go so well."

"I see," he spoke his eyes filled with empathy. "Well, I can offer you two a place to wash up, new clothes, and a meal before I would like to sit down and talk to you further."

"Do we get to wear what everyone else around here seems to be wearing?" Zack asked.

"Of course, Zachary," Xavier answered with a laugh. "You won't have to wear all white clothing ever again if you want."

"Isn't that exciting, Nora?" Zack asked brining me into the conversation.

"Believe me," Professor Xavier began turning to guide us. "I think you'll find that you'll fit in quite comfortably here."

Zack and I were supposed to go separate ways for showering reasons but I felt too vulnerable without him. So we took turns. I waited for him while he washed up and he did the same for me. We walked together to one of the kitchens in the huge school Charles Xavier established.

Zack seemed to enjoy his new clothing as we walked to the kitchen with Ororo or Storm. He wore basic blue jeans, a t-shirt with a sweater over it and a pair of nice red shoes. It was pretty much what every other boy was wearing in the school.

Storm was nice enough to cook us a meal since neither of us had ever seen a kitchen in a long time or used any of the equipment in it.

"So what do you do here, Storm?" Zachary asked using her nickname.

"I am one of the teacher here," she answered taking a seat with us. "One of a few."

"How many are there?" Zack asked intrigued with her.

"Not as many as you'd think," she answered smiling. "Now the professor would like to get to know you better before we call it a day."

We finished eating and went on our way to see him. Zack chatted up a storm with Ororo as I remained silent at his side.

At least one of us is warming up to it here, I thought knowing Zack was too preoccupied to hear me.

We stepped inside his class room and took a seat in the desks closest to him.

"Now, I understand that we've just met," he began carefully looking more at me than Zack. "But in order to help you better I need to know what you've been though."

"Our life stories?" Zack asked.

"Yes," Charles answered.


	4. Chapter 4

(4)

"Well," Zack started. "I'll go first I guess."

"I had a normal life up until I turned fifteen," Zack said thinking a little. "That's when my powers started forming."

Charles leaned back in his chair and listened. He made eye contact and never interrupted.

"I guess my first "accident" was when I read my father's mind and answered his thought instead of his words," he said with a laugh. "It happened repeatedly and they caught on pretty quick."

"My parents believed The Academy was a place for me to learn to control my skills," Zack continued. "They told me they made a three year deal with The Academy and would come back for me after the time was up. I was only at The Academy for two years."

"So you still have every intension to return to them?" Professor Xavier asked.

"Yeah," Zack answered. "I mean, as long as they haven't moved I still remember our street address and phone number. I still remember my full name."

"Well this facility is a great place to learn to control you abilities," Charles responded. "In fact, all of the students here are here for that same reason and the teachers are more than willing to help you out."

"So I can go home without having to worry about any more accidents?" Zack asked.

"If you grow that quickly within a year, yes," smiled Charles.

Zack smiled over at me hearing the great news.

Professor Xavier then turned to me.

I hesitated for a moment, then realized I'd been holding in everything for such a long time. I found it best to let it out now verses keeping it in even longer.

"My parents handed me over to The Academy the moment I got my powers," I blurted out. "I was twelve. A week after my birthday I started hearing things."

He nodded waiting patiently for me to continue.

"It was and still is my catch phrase that I say all the time 'did you hear that'?" I went on looking ad my hands the entire time.

"I believed they had every intension of coming back for me," I said getting closer to the painful part. "I was at The Academy for… maybe a year before my hopes started to fade."

"They never celebrated your birthday at The Academy; you weren't that significant anymore. No calendars to look at or even clocks really," I swallowed.

"Maybe a year and a half and I started to forget everything about the first part of my life," I said feeling the water start to build up. "I can't remember their faces… or their names."

I laughed letting the worst part come out, "I can't even remember my own last name. So now I'm… I'm just Nora."

"Nora…" Zack whispered saying my name with grief.

"I don't know how long I was at The Academy," I continued. "I don't know how old I am now."

He never broke eye contact.

I looked him dead in the eye and finished, "I am Nora. And I hear the future."

"Thank you for sharing that, Nora," Charles said leaning forward. "Thank you both."

"So, what does this mean then?" Zack asked. "What do you do with all the information we gave you?"

"Well, for starters, it lets me know what level of education to start you at," Xavier answered. "I assume The Academy didn't have a teaching program there."

"No," I answered shaking my head.

"I thought this was a school for the gifted," Zack said confused.

"It is, but while you're learning to adapt to your abilities you must also learn about the world around you and how they operate," Xavier stated making more sense to me than Zack.

"Great," Zack said falling back in his chair. "Now we have to go back to school."

School to me was a blur. I remembered parts of elementary school but intermediate or middle school was close to blank in my memory.

"So then, what classes do you offer here?" I asked curiously.

"I am required by law to teach you what every other school out their teaches," he answered. "English, Math, Science, and Social Studies, and forms of Art."

"But you teach more than that," Zack seemed to add on before Xavier could.

"Yes, I also have one particular class designed especially for mutants and their abilities," he included.

There's that word again, I thought. Mutant.

Professor Xavier slowly turned to me, "You don't recognize that word."

I swallowed hard realizing he was in my head without me knowing.

"It's what the general public calls us," he explained. "I know it's not the most flattering word but it's what we have to live with."

"That's what they call us? Mutant?" I repeated trying to wrap my brain around the idea.

"It's because out genetics are mutated and therefore it's what gives us our abilities and gifts," Xavier continued to enlighten me.

"Genetics?" I asked fumbling over another word.

_She has the mind of a twelve year old but the body of a seven-teen year old._

It was Professor Xavier talking about me in the future. From the look I saw on his face he was in my head and heard it as well.

Xavier sighed, "We will have to talk further another time. But for now I'll have Jean here show you around and meet a few more of your teachers."

I glanced over my shoulder seeing a woman with red hair standing behind me.

When did she get in here?

"Another telepath?" Zack asked reclaiming his enthusiasm.

Oh great, I thought. Another person I have to worry about getting into my head.

"We'll start with the basement," Jean said as we left Xavier's room.

"And what do you teach?" Zack asked walking beside her as I took the rear.

"What I'm about to show you," she answered taking us down the stairs. "The Danger Room."

"Sounds… dangerous," Zack smiled.

Something was up with Zack's behavior. He just seemed a bit more forward with his actions than normal. First it was Ororo or Storm, whatever she called herself, and now it's Jean.

"It can be if you don't walk in with a ready mind," Jean answered stopping at the door.

She opened it revealing a shiny round room. We walked in seeing a man standing there waiting for us.

He had dark red sunglasses on along with dark brown hair.

"Welcome to the Danger Room," he said with a warm smile. "My name is Scott but I'm also known as Cyclopes."

I don't get it; what's with all the nicknames? Isn't your real name enough?

Zack and I quickly introduced ourselves saying our name and ability.

"This room projects simulations of whatever we want. We often use it as a practice room for real world situations. One day you might right a giant robot with the rubble of the school at your feet. Another day you could fight go up against an invasion while relaxing at the beach," Jean stated trying to explain the rooms importance.

Zack glanced back at me with a grin.

"Simulation?" I asked holding my hands up in a confused position.

"Like an illusion," Scott answered. "But one that actually hurts if it hits you."

"And does everyone come in this room?" I asked folding my arms over my chest.

"Yes, everyone, including the teachers practice in here," Jean answered.

_But my abilities are worthless on the battle field!_

"Sounds fun, right Nora?" Zack asked.

I flinched hearing an ear piercing scream. I went down to one knee and covered up my ears in pain.

"Nora?" Zack asked coming down to my level. "What did you hear?"

I removed my hands immediately seeing blood on them, "Someone screamed."

"How did this happen?" Jean asking taking my hands in hers looking at the decent amount of blood on my hands.

"Whenever I hear the future my ears bleed," I explained. "The longer, or in this case, louder it is the more blood it makes."

"But why did you hear a scream?" Scott asked.

"I don't choose what I hear," I answered taking my hands back. "I can't turn it on and off. It just happens now and again."

"Well let's get out of this room, get you washed up, and outside," Jean said as we rose to our feet.

Their was a small bathroom located just outside the Danger Room. I washed my hands and ears and followed Jean and Scott up the stairs.

Zack followed behind them like I did. He seemed a little more annoyed seeing Jean and Scott holding hands.

"The students are off for the weekend so they have intramural sports and activities to keep them occupied," Scott said as we walked out to the large backyard.

My eyes went wide. I had never seen to many kids in my life. There had to be at least twenty just outside in the back yard alone. Most of them were doing some sport related action while others sat and just enjoyed the weather.

I saw Jean quickly pull her hand out of Scotts as a different man approached us.

"Jean, Scott," the man greeted us.

He was a little more intimidating than Scott and the Professor. He had dark hair and more muscles than I'd ever seen on anyone.

"Logan," Jean replied. "These are the two we picked up from The Academy,"

I stayed back as Zack cautiously offered him a hand.

"Zack," he said as Logan took his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"And what do you do, Zack?" Logan asked.

"I'm a telepath," Zack answered.

Logan popped up an eyebrow seemingly unimpressed.

"And you?" he asked looking to me.

"Nora," I answered after a pause. "I hear the future."

"Really?" Logan asked as both his eyebrows popped up this time.


	5. Chapter 5

(5)

Zack and I were excused for the rest of the day. We were told to wonder around a little bit to get used to the school and it's size. They said we could have a meal before we went to bed.

"She has the mind of a twelve year old but the body of a seven-teen year old," the professor spoke to his fellow teachers as we passed a cracked door.

I tried to look unaffected buy it. Zack was too busy noticing girls for the first time to notice.

Zack and I found the small kitchen we were in earlier and started to look through the cupboards.

"I don't know how to cook any of this," I admitted turning around with a cold meal in my hands.

"Just use the microwave," Zack said pointing.

"Zack I have the mind of a twelve year old and I have never cooked a meal in my life," I said. "Plus, remember what happened the last time I got close to a machine."

Zack rolled his eyes ad he chewed on a piece of string cheese, "It's simple, Nora."

Zack took the meal from my hands and threw it into the microwave. Zack then began giving me instructions on how to work the darn thing.

My meal was ready within a few minutes. I took it out of the machine and sat down next to Zack who continued to much on cheese and a few pieces of ham.

"Do you like it here?" I asked.

"The teachers seem nice," Zack answered.

Meaning you like the girl teachers, I thought.

"And the students look pretty close to our age," he finished. "You?"

The sound of laughter interrupted me. Two students walked into the kitchen giggling but stopped the moment they saw us.

"Oh, hi," the girl said approaching us.

She was smaller like me with a huge white streak of hair around her face while the rest was brown.

"Are you guys the two new ones from The Academy?" the boy asked.

There was something about him that got my attention. Maybe it was his blonde hair. Or those impossibly blue eyes.

"Yeah, I'm Zack and this is Nora," Zack introduced us. "I'm a telepath and she hears the future."

We seemed to have the introduction speech down knowing exactly what everyone was going to ask after our names.

"Nice," the boy said nodding with approval. "I'm Bobby, but I can go by Iceman."

"I prefer to be called Rogue," said the girl. "But my real name is Marie."

"I don't get it; what's with all the nicknames?" I asked. "Isn't your real name enough?"

Bobby and Marie were quiet for a moment.

"It's our mutant names," Marie started to explain. "It basically just makes it easier for us to talk to one another in code without anyone else knowing who we are."

It kind of made sense. But I was still confused on when to call them what.

"Bed time kids," Ororo said from the doorway.

"Kay," Marie said taking Bobby's hand and exiting the room.

My spirits sank.

"See you tomorrow," Bobby said before he vanished.

"What level are you on?" I asked tearing my sight away from the doorway the exited from.

"Second, you?" Zack asked as he got up from his chair.

"Third," I answered sinking even lower than before.

"Boys and girls are on opposite floors for a reason, you know," Ororo said smiling.

"And what reason would that be?" I asked confused.

The room fell silent.

Zack seemed to tense up as Ororo looked me over realizing I was being serious.

"That's a conversation for another time," she said guiding us up stairs.

We first dropped Zack off at his room. I hugged him good night feeling a little lost without him.

"Don't worry," Ororo said. "You wont be sleeping alone. All of our students have at least one room mate."

"Wonder who mine is?" Zack asked before he went into his room closing the door behind him.

I sighed feeling slightly alone. I walked with Ororo up to the next floor. She showed me where the bathrooms were if I needed them before we walked to my room.

Ororo knocked on the door before opening it. It was a smaller room with three beds in it. A small girl with brown hair sat on her bed and welcomed us with a smile.

"Nora this is Kitty," Ororo said. "She will be your room mate."

I waved over at her without a word. She did the same.

"Now get some rest, you'll have a very busy first day tomorrow," Ororo said before she left me with a complete stranger.

I stood close to the door without making a sound.

Kitty just sat on her bed dressed in sleeping clothes.

"So…" I trailed off. "Which one's mine?"

"Either one," she answered me. "They're not occupied."

I slowly waked over to the bed closest to the wall putting one empty bed in-between us. I crawled into the covers still wearing my day clothes.

Kitty turned off the light on her side of the room. The school was quiet.

I found it hard to drift off to sleep. My brain was still trying to process everything that had happened. The one topic my thoughts kept coming back to was the Danger Room. Then came what I had heard from the future.

_But my abilities are worthless on the battle field!_

And the glass shattering scream that followed it.

The first night at the new school was the first night I dreamt about what I heard.

I was in the Danger Room. Zack was there along with a few others we met that day. We were running through a simulation that had lots of explosions.

I found myself bleeding from the ears again since all I could hear all the explosions. I just stood there in the middle of the map hearing bomb after bomb unsure if the most recent one was real or a future explosive.

The kids around me seemed to be handling the situation well. Dodging the fire, putting it out, or simply walking through it.

Then came the earth shaking scream. I went down on one knee with my hands over my ears.

Then I heard everyone calling my name. I slowly rose to my feet as the screaming stopped. I saw everyone pointing or shouting at me. I saw Zack who was pointing above me. I glanced up seeing a huge piece of heavy material falling directly above me.

All I could do was go back down to my knees and cover my head in hopes I would survive.

I woke up just as the object was about to hit. I woke with a start realizing it was still night time. I sat up and saw my room mate still in her bed sleeping.

"I can't go in there," I whispered to myself.

I rose from my bed and headed out to the hallway in search of the bathroom. I quickly grabbed a change of clothes before I walked out.

The bathroom was right where Ororo said it would be. I washed my face and changed into my sleep wear trying to calm myself down.

"At least I know when I dream about my future it isn't real," I said to myself in the mirror.

I then took a closer look seeing blood stains on my pearl white hair. I sighed before I turned the sink back on and started washing a few strands of hair out.

"You okay?" a female voice asked.

I glanced over seeing Marie standing there watching me.

"Yeah," I answered wringing my hair out.

"What's it like?" Marie asked. "If I can ask."

"What? Hearing the future?" I asked unsure of what she meant.

She nodded.

"It's uh," I stumbled over my words. "It's kinda scary."

"What do you hear?" She asked coming forward.

"Uh," I stumbled again.

No one had ever asked me what it was like. No one asked me to describe my abilities.

"Conversations before they happen," I said. "And lots of screaming."

"Do you think you could let me try?" she asked.

"How?" I said confused.

"Well, my abilities let me absorb the one's around me," Marie said now standing beside mat the sink. "So if I touch you, I gain your power for a short amount of time."

"What do you want to hear?" I asked curious.

"Bobby and I have been on the rocks lately," Marie admitted sighing. "And I just want to hear it before it happens."

"What exactly are you expecting to hear?" I asked.

"I just want to know if we last or not," Marie said looking me dead in the eyes. "It's hard to be in a relationship when you can't touch."

Marie then explained to me how her powers never turned off.

"I guess my abilities flaw is that your ears will bleed every time you hear the future," I told her crossing my arms. "Think you can handle the bleeding?"


End file.
